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All Flights Delayed
Reports begin circulating about a disturbance in New York airspace, of an unknown nature. All air and space travel out of JFK Spaceport is operating on heightened alert, just in case an actual threat exists... J.F.K. Spaceport Although human travel into space is still in its earliest stages, the JFK Spaceport, situated close to the UN headquarters, attracts many ships, primarily from the Autobots, but there are some Terran ships as well, and even a few totally unfamiliar alien visitors. It's still busy here, as the spaceport services diplomatic and trade vessels, and the occasional luxury shuttle. Fire Chief's Countach cruises at high speeds down a street near the airport, swerving to overtake slower cars. He occasionally flashes his emergency lights and lets out a few loud hoots to let people know he's passing them. Runabout Cast almost entirely in black, this robot warrior only stands out from the shadows in the bright red trim lining his arms and legs. Featuring obvious vehicular components, his feet are composed of much of the vehicles front end, a pair of tires at each of his heels. Most of his chest is made up of the vehicles cabin, mirror-like red windows hiding the interior, while the violet sigil of the Decepticon Empire adorns his chest. A wide black hood sits behind his head, where a facemask and scarlet visor hide any expression. When not in hand, a bright red rifle hangs behind his right shoulder. It's a busy night at JFK International Air- and Space-port, as ever; wheeled and hover traffic is near gridlocked as ever, as passengers scurry towards their pending flights, or away from the roar of jet engines towards their hotels or homes. Flights still take off, the heavy roar of sublight engines rattling those who stray too close to the runways. Security, though, seems heightened, thanks to the reports of unidentified targets on the horizon. Targets not yet identified as Decepticons, of course... the battlecharger Runabout, hugging the ground in hovermode, leading a pair of lavender-colored seekers towards the bustling port. "Ok," he hums, "you know the plan. Don't worry about looting at first - just avoid the defenses and blow up whatever you can. Once we're on the tarmac, SHRED it... the ships are MINE to blow up. 'K?" The seekers merely glance at one another with disdain... that this CAR would give THEM orders was beyond insulting. Fire Chief's Countach accelerates even more, to racing speeds, leaving the road completely to cut across the grass and undeveloped lands surrounding the airport. A quick jet of compressed gas launches him -over- the security fence on the outskirts of the airport grounds, and suddenly he's on the tarmac. A sophisticated radar tracking system lets him pick out the seekers, and Red starts to wonder if this was such a good idea... Runabout's voice crackles over the com, seemingly stammering a sudden report. "Oh, yeah, f'rgot to check in. Um, I got bored, so I'm gonna... blow up an airport or somethin'. Uh... radio me if you want in. ...okay. 'Bout out." The approach to JFK was, by necessity, low and fast - sophisticated radar would have picked them out in a heartbeat if they'd tried an aerial assault. And a ground-based attack would never make it past the standard defenses. Two Decepticon seekers, though, are more than enough to penetrate the perimeter of the port, allowing the trio a window of attack. And attack they do. The initial wave is fast and decisive, knocking out Terran defenses as efficiently as possible, lest they be repelled before doing any real damage of their own. Within half a minute, though, they settled onto the tarmac... and with a menacing cackle, the Battlecharger called out, "Ok, boys... time to do some damage!" Fire Chief's Countach skids to a halt, letting Foxfire out before transforming himself. "It doesn't look good, Foxfire. And the terran defense network is in a state of confusion. I'll try to coordinate their attacks against the seekers...can you keep Runabout from causing harm?" Red raises his weapons grimly. "And keep on your guard for his miscreant of a partner!" The red fire chief's car transforms into Red Alert. Foxfire jumps out of Red Alert, ears twitching. "Yeah...I think I can handle him. And Runamuck, if he's around. Just don't get yerself blown up or anything, okay?" He flashes a grin to his comrade before darting off into the depths of the assault. In the blink of an eye, the spaceport shifts from the chaos of a tremendously busy place, to the chaos of war. Aircraft franticly taxi towards distant terminals, as tracer fire arcs through the night air. Sirens wail, and EDC troops begin racing towards the small but mobile Decepticon contingency. "Send 'em to the pit!" Runabout growls, taking aim at anything that looks halfway like a tank of rocket fuel, while the seekers 'backing him up' only sneer at the lowly grunt DARING to give them orders... The arrival of the Autobots, of course, changes the plan completely. One of the lavender-colored seekers glides towards them, eager to prove his own worth against a non-biological foe... Red Alert stands in the middle of a runway, patching into some of the local comm channels. He's soon transmitting storms of data, answering queries from the Terran security forces, and making recommendations on how to position their forces for maximum defensive effectiveness. "That's right, Foxfire and I will lead a counter-attack against the Decepticons!" He finishes hurriedly as the seeker heads his way, firing a few preliminary particle beams in that direction. ALERT! ALERT! Decepticon raid on JFK Airport! ALERT! ALERT! More reports continue to stream in to the mainstream news stations, describing an apparent Decepticon attack on none other than JFK International Air and Spaceport. Grainy footage seems to show the silhouete of a handful of seekers, along with a battlecharger-like shape taking potshots at anything in sight... Foxfire scurries through the chaos, his primary focus on the Deception leading the attack. "Hey, Runabout!" he calls tauntingly. "Why don't you go get your processor upgraded?! An idiot's still an idiot!" Mother Goose Fusillade says, "Ey, Soundwave. Nice grab. Can I get a situation report?" As the seeker streaks towards Red Alert, a few beams lance past him, searing his wings as he banks and rolls to evade them. Levelling his arm-rifles to bear, he sends a volley of quad-shots at the Autobot (ch-ch-ch-choo), all while racing towards him at extremely high speeds... Meanwhile, Runabout's glorious destruction of the spaceport's tarmac is interrupted by a comparatively small voice confronting him. Growling at Foxfire, he sneers. "I'll show you who's an idiot... idiot!" Without further comment, he rips up a chunk of concrete, and hurls it at the little fox thing... Commander Soundwave says, "We are in the midst of punishing a local bakery for their symbolic "boycotting" of the Decepticons. We cannot such insolence, and are currently repelling Autobot defenders so that we may proceed with terror operations. Unfortunately, I am taking severe damage and may not be able to continue." Galvatron says, "Is this that muffin business?" Galvatron says, "Have you at least levelled the muffinery?" Mother Goose Fusillade says, "Ah, there's the bonfire now. Looks like it's in progress." Commander Soundwave says, "Not coompletely, but the humans inside have, at the very least, been effectively terrorized." Galvatron says, "Not completely? How difficult could it possibly be? Mark the target. Fusillade, level it." Commander Soundwave says, "...we were distracted by the Autobots." Galvatron says, "Curse those Autobots! They even think that muffins are the right of all sapient beings now! I'm on my way. Keep the target marked, Fusillade may still be able to get through." Dreadwind says, "Soundwave is correct i was merely going to tell the humans the error of their ways when the Autobots attacked us. Just as well i suppose, no one ever listens." Tempo says, "This is Tempo, ya'll doin' ok out there or do ya'll need some back-up?" Saboteur Foxfire says, "We've got Runabout and a group of Seekers. It's just me and Red Alert out here." Durango says, "From what I 'eah, 'ey might *oof* need some 'elp *eeep* in New Yoahk..." Sideswipe says, "Rodger dodger, we'll be out their to pull your collective buts out of the fire." Commander Soundwave says, "The humans are too foolish to be reasoned with. They only respect what can kill them." Red Alert throws himself to one side, avoiding the brunt of the seeker's fire but still getting singed painfully by a few shots. He looks up from where's on the ground as the seeker passes overhead, the rocket launcher on Red's shoulder swivelling to follow the jet's passage. Red unleashes the small rocket with a loud WHOOOSH!, and at this close range it almost instantly crosses the distance to the Decepticon. A thin, almost straight trail of white smoke hanging in the air between launcher and target. Mother Goose Fusillade says, "Scramble quick, then." Galvatron says, "Where are Blast Off and Onslaught when I need them? It should not be this difficult to destroy a fleshy muffin-manufacturing facility." A crackle of static precedes the sounds of explosions and weapons fire. "For the love of... somebody get us out of here! This slagging son of a glitch Battlecharger just led us into a deathtrap! Request immediate bac--" The transmission is interrupted by a loud, close explosion... then cuts off promptly. Foxfire watches the hunk of concrete fly toward him. Quickly, he ducks out of the way, letting it fall to the ground. "Only an idiot calls someone else an idiot after being called an idiot himself!" His optics flare as they fire a pair of lasers toward Runabout. Foxfire strikes Runabout with Laser. Mother Goose Fusillade says, "That's what you get for following HIM into combat without proper clearance." Arachnae says, "Ahh, even should the auto-drone make foolish attempts to salvage the bakery, it is all for nought. Structurally, it is unsound now as well as amusingly on fire. I think he should sit here and watch it burn out as punishment for the audacity of interrupting." A black TVR can be seen screaming down the road heading for the airport and the action, along with comming through the wake of destruction and choas. The engine roars as the vehical moves faster, dodging around fallen material and well, just sheer whatever gets the Tuscan's way. As it approuches closer, it seems to leap upward, and transform into the graceful black femme herself, Tempo. Who now instead of beeing on four wheels, is on two, skating toward the action. As her emerald green optics scan the scene, she reconizes the decepticon, "aww.. not ya again.." she murmurs to herself as she heads in. Hands push down on the ground, as the hood breaks by the window, shield, and face emerges, the hands then force the body up into the air, legs kicking outward from the back in a mid-air flip, the doors swings down to her side, and then lands down on the ground in a crouch, Tempo is ready for action. The seeker on Red Alert's tail streaks overhead, shouting franticly into his radio, as the missile erupts against his leg. Bellowing in pain, he lurches sideways, plowing into the ground, digging a long rut in the tarmac in the process. Rolling onto his back, the effectively grounded airman takes aim, and unloads almost his entire remaining arsenal at Red Alert, sending wild shots arcing through the night through the fight... Runabout, in the meantime, put so much effort into throwing the tarmac, that he had little chance to dodge the searing laser blasts headed his way. Carving a neat pair of grooves in his chest armor, the battlecharger howls in pain, grasping at his chest. "Guh... you... no, you're an... I... SHUT UP!" he snaps, neither understanding nor caring about Foxfire's insult. "It only matters who's strong... and you're the idiot if you think you can take me!" Pulling a laser pistol from a hip compartment, he levels it at the fox, and unloads... Runabout misses Foxfire with his Laser Pistol attack. Red Alert loads another rocket into his launcher, giving Tempo a relieved glance. "Tempo! Just in time! If you can help keep this seeker" (OOC: the nameless Gumby seeker that's here backing Runabout up, that is). "This seeker away from the more delicate civilian aircraft here, I can get to work coordinating the rescue and emergency damage control efforts here!" Mother Goose Fusillade says, "Still sore anyway." Arachnae says, "Hmmmm?" Mother Goose Fusillade says, "I... snuck out of the repair bay." Arachnae says, "Ahh." Mother Goose Fusillade says, "Well not really 'snuck'. More like 'strode'." Foxfire simply leaps back as the laser hits the ground where he had been standing. "Yeah? If I'm an idiot, then *you're* still an idiot for thinking you can take on a fox!" He opens his jaws, letting loose a stream of flames. Foxfire misses Runabout with his Fire attack. Tempo isn't alone, close on her tail is Sideswipe. "What is it with this guy and ruining my day?" groused Sideswipe as he skidded to a halt, tires shrieking befor he transformed, his pistol in his hand within a instant, supression fire laid down to keep Red Alert clean. Swiper's liked Red. Sure he was a anal retenitve paranoid maniac.. but he was handsom. Galvatron says, "Your professional opinion, Arachnae: can the muffinery be considered destroyed? Respond promptly, I have a strike package inbound." Another staticky voice comes over the channel... "JFK Spaceport, in New York Province... He said it'd be a quick in-out-strike, damn Battlecharger... surrounded by EDC, Autobots... Need backup or evac..." A heated battle echoes in the background for a moment, before he adds, "HURRY! Don't have too much time left!" Arachnae says, "I think a strike package would add final insult to injury, my lord and hammer.. the message properly home for all." Mother Goose Fusillade says, "Silverspin, you could have said 'no' and beaten him up!" Galvatron says, "Very good. Continue with the mission, Fusillade, but do not let yourself be drawn in. I will see what... has become of Runabout." Dreadwind says, "You have no time at all..." Tempo takes note of the seeker who is giving Red Alert a hard time, and while Sideswipe fires, she moves in close. Using part of the wreckage to skate up and leap into the air, get some air-time, and then bring several flying daggers right down for the seeker, each designed to explode on impact. "Like we ain't got better things to be doin' then playin' with aerial morons and decepti'chop who thinks he can go about messin' with stuff." She growls slightly, "And I was havin' a nice day!" Galvatron begins showing up on radar long before he enters visual range. The first clear sign of him, however, is panic on the radio waves as Galvatron starts shooting down Air Force and National Guard fighters that approach him. <> As the battle continues, the Decepticons begin to fall back towards a central defensive position, behind the smoldering remains of a luggage truck, as the combined EDC and Autobot forces begin to close in. What was the battlecharger thinking, attacking such a fortified location? Oh, that's right, he wasn't. The pair of gumbyseekers help pull each other to safety, each asking themselves why they ever believed that this plan was a good idea in the first place. In the meantime, Runabout gracefully 'skates' out of the way of Foxfire's... fire, now ready for the assault. "Oh, you wanna play like that?" He growls, racing towards the cassettebot through the firefight. Then, in the blink of an eye, in a split second, he suddenly collapses into auto mode, racing straight towards Foxfire. "Out-fox THIS, idiot!" Almost too fast to see, Runabout folds down into a sleek black sports car. Runabout strikes Foxfire with ram. ALERT! ALERT! Galvatron on approach vector at JFK Airport! THIS IS NOT A DRILL! ALERT! ALERT! Tempo says, "Galvatron huh?" Kup says, "Yes, that's what it says." Kup says, "Any available Autobots, you need to get down there right away." Saboteur Foxfire says, "If I get vaped, will you avenge me, Kup?" Kup says, "I'm in India at the moment and a little tied up, so I won't be able to make it. This bakery situation is taking longer than I thought it would." Kup says, "Don't worry lad, you'll get a full state funeral. We'll fire your remains into space and everything." Saboteur Foxfire says, "...Bakery? Uh, okay..." Saboteur Foxfire says, "Hah, sweet." A yelp escapes Foxfire as the car rams into him, sending him flying back several feet. With a wince, he climbs back to his paws, one optic slightly dimmed. "Stupid vehicle modes... So that's the way you wanna play? Fine!" He rushes toward Runabout and dives at one of the car's tires, snapping his jaws. Foxfire misses Lotus Turbo Esprit with his Bite attack. Tempo takes down a few 'gumbie' seekers, before she hears the comm alert and glances upward to see the decepticon comming in, "..he can't be /tha'/ bad.." She says to herself, as some seeker decides to try and get to close and finds dagger flung up into there face and explodes. Tempo quickly runs over to Sideswipe, sure the mech would know something more about this 'decepticon' the she would. Though as she does run over, she does send a few more seekers some 'presents'... in the face! "Sideswipe!" She calls over, "I'm gatherin' we got mister uno-numuro commin' if I heard right, think we can take him?" Silly question from the fast femme. However, what other choice with they have? They couldn't let Foxfire and Red Alert have all the fun! Besides, the gumbies were /easy/... Saboteur Foxfire says, "Ow...I just got rammed by Runabout's car mode...stupid vehicle-cons..." Quickswitch says, "Woah, what's happening out there?" Kup says, "Quickswitch, I need you to help them fight off Galvatron. Can you do that?" "Trigger-Crotch 2.0?" replied Sideswipe as he switched his weapon to a full-auto setting. Peppering the sky with laser bolts when he could get some airspace that wasn't cluttered with EDC in his sights. "Nope.. but I don't see any reason why we shouldn't give it a try." he replied, loading a flare charge up into his launcher, angling it upwards and letting loose a brilliant crimson mote of light that streaked into the sky where it burst like a firecracker... it didn't his anyone, it wasn't supposed to. Saboteur Foxfire says, "Runabout is attacking the spaceport with a group of Seekers, and Galvatron has appeared on radar. Things are gonna get messy." Quickswitch grins roguishly, "Hehehe, 'Can I do that?'" Arachnae says, "ETa on the inboud gifts?" Mother Goose Fusillade says, "I was instructed to hold off." Dreadwind says, "Not soon enough." Quickswitch says, "Yeah. Just lemme disconnect this wire here and--OW!!--Ow. I'll be there ETA 10 mins." Saboteur Foxfire says, "'Ow'? Are you okay?" As the battle stretches on, much of the battlefield - the tarmac of JFK Spaceport - is pockmarked with explosions and ruts carved from random damage. The few remaining Decepticon forces are huddled behind a small makeshift bunker, constructed from hastily overturned vehicles. A pair of damaged seekers sends volley after volley of laser blasts at anything that moves... since there was only one target out there who was presumably 'friendly', their odds were pretty darn good. Runabout, meanwhile, was busy dealing with a single cassettebot, suddenly popping into robot mode to evade Foxfire's sharp teeth. "BAD kitty!" he snaps, whirling around to swat the fox aside with his foot, even as EDC troops begin closing in on his position... by this point, even the Battlecharger was beginning to have second thoughts about this mission... In the blink of an eye, the black vehicle springs up into the Decepticon Warrior, Runabout. Runabout strikes Foxfire with kick. Quickswitch says, "Yeah. I am now!" Quickswitch says, "That should do it. What's the situation, sir?" Quickswitch says, "Up to the second." Galvatron slices the wing off an EDC Shrike with a flare of his cannon, sending it auguring into a dairy pasture while the pilot floats slowly down on his chute. The rest of the air wing peel off to clear the airspace. "He's all yours, Autobots! Ground forces are enroute but it'll take some time!" Galvatron says, "Dreadwind, what's your status?" The kick sends Foxfire flying again, but this time he quickly rights himself and lands on his paws. "I'm getting really sick of you." He leaps at the Battlecharger, claws bared. Foxfire strikes Runabout with Claw. Red Alert transforms into his vehicle mode, his Fire Chief markings familiar to all airport personnel as someone who can coordinate emergency activities (even when they're on a bizarre choice for a vehicle). Red Alert transforms into a fire chief's car. Dreadwind says, "Pitiful, i am now outnumbered and noone will come to my aid." Tempo watches the flare go up and readies her blades. She wasn't sure what to expect in the long run, or-- even if she could do this, but she would try! Tempo looks over to Sideswipe with her optics till back to the sky, she moves out then clearing some path, taking out a few seekers here and there-- and waiting, waiting for the time to strike. Quickswitch crosses another wire, "Aeeiieeeoowwww!" Quickswitch says, "This is why I'm not a medic!" Arachnae says, "Is that your way of asking? I think Hot Spot will have some time to watch the building fall on Kup while he grovels on the ground so I can run interferance for you Dreadwing." Arachnae says, "That is, if you wish." Saboteur Foxfire says, "Red Alert and I responded to a call about a raid on J.F.K. Spaceport. We discovered Runabout with a group of Seekers, and shortly after Sideswipe and Tempo joined us. Now Galvatron has appeared and we're probably in deep slag. And...jeez, don't kill yourself before you get outta there..." Arachnae says, "If not, perchance it is time to depart? If that is what is warrented." Galvatron descends to hit the tarmac at a jog. "Runabout, an accounting of yourself!" he shouts across the airfield, raising his cannon and raking a brilliant purple beam across the three nearest Autobots and a perfectly innocent fuel truck, which explodes into a mushrooming fireball with a loud KAWHAM. Galvatron says, "Return to base, then. I will see to Runabout myself." Dreadwind says, "No i never ask, i know better than that, it's merely a tactical analysis of my poor situation." Galvatron strikes you with Fusion Cannon (low output) for 21 points of damage. Galvatron unleashes his Fusion Cannon (low output) attack on Red Alert, Sideswipe and Tempo, striking Tempo, Sideswipe and Red Alert. Saboteur Foxfire says, "...And that looked like it hurt... Red, Siders, Tempo, you guys okay?" Some static for a moment before Tempo's voice speaks up, "Yea-- tha' just kinda burned..." Quickswitch calls impatiently, "I will be there directly. Try to maintain your posituons." Saboteur Foxfire says, "I'm dealing with Runabout. The others are taking on the Seekers, and Galvatron has just attacked them with his cannon. Ugh...bad memories..." "Well.. crap.." muttered Sideswipe befor he was slammed with a piller of pain. Luckily he managed to avboid the full brunt of the beam, thus instead of being mostly dead he was just partialy dead. Pulling himself up, smoking and battered, "You see, this is why we don't invite the guy to any parties, he walks right in and blows up the keg!" complains Sideswipe, hefting his laser blaster and firing off the obligatory laser. Here is your laser, enjoy. Sideswipe strikes Galvatron with laser. The Battlecharger whips his gaze around at Galvatron, just long enough to distract him from Foxfire's attack. The claws screech against his armor, digging narrow grooves into his left arm, before pulling back. His armor is pockmarked with laser blasts and clawmarks, along with a good amount of scrapes and dents common to a heavy firefight. "I... uh... I'm... fine... just a little... banged..." He shakes his head. "I strike at the heart of the humans' transportation in the name of the Empire and its glorious master, Lord Galvatron!" A stray laser blast *spangs* off his shoulder as he raises his arm in salute. "Ow..." From their makeshift bunker, the two badly damaged seekers cry out, "FOR THE LOVE OF PRIMUS, SAVE US, LORD GALVATRON!" Foxfire sees Galvatron, and the attack against his comrades. He knows there is little he can do against the mighty Decepticon leader, even if he attacks with the group. Therefore, his attention remains on Runabout, and he hopes that his friends don't wind up as scrapheaps. While Runabout is distracted, he decides to up his firepower a little. His hip compartments open, and launch a pair of rockets. Foxfire misses Runabout with his Rocket attack. There was a light-- it was bright-- and it HURT! Tempo who was racing for to get ready to attack, was then slammed by the energy blast from Galvatron and was thrown onto her back. Her armor sizzled from the heat of the plasma blast, before she pushed herself up and shook her head. Everything static for a moment before it cleared up, "..slagger.." she muttered under her breathe before she got back up. Seeing Sideswipe was ok, however-- not that poor tanker.. she pulled out a dagger, sneered and tossed it right for the large mech. It was one of those daggers that she been tossing around, ya know-- the ones that explode on impact! Tempo misses Galvatron with her Exploding Dagger attack. Quickswitch says, "I'm gonna TAKE his cannon and SHOVE it down his INTAKE VENT!!" Saboteur Foxfire says, "Please do!" Quickswitch says, "An the fraggin thing is gonna FIT." Saboteur Foxfire says, "Heh heh..." "While I appreciate your fealty and hard work, Runabout, your choice of backup and timing leaves something to be desired," replies Galvatron coolly as laser fire spangles off of his chest and crowned helmet, leaving small scorch marks behind. "You should have filed this strike with your superiors in Operations so that you would have the benefit of artillery and air support." He spies the incoming dagger and meets it with his eye- the saying 'if looks could kill' is true of Galvatron as an invisible shimmer shines out of his eyes and bursts the dagger in midair before it can reach him... then continues beyond it towards the dagger's source! Galvatron strikes Tempo with Optic Heat Ray. Kup says, "That's the *gnn* spirit, lad!" Reports at JFK Spaceport take a darker turn, with the reported arrival of Galvatron, Decepticon overlord. More EDC and Autobot reinforcements continue to arrive, though the question remains whether or not they will be enough to turn the tide... Runabout stammers for a moment, trying to divide his attention between his glorious commander and the gnat called Foxfire, before being forced to deal with a pair of rockets hurtling his way. Diving to the side to avoid the strikes, he pops back with a glare for the Cassettebot. "GO AWAY!" He shouts, pulling his Particle Beam Rifle out from behind his back. Levelling the reddish-weapon at the fox, he sends a searing red beam of energy arcing towards Foxfire... Runabout misses Foxfire with his Particle Beam Rifle attack. Sideswipe didn't like that. Galvatron was hitting onn a femmebot.. with eye lasers. "Jerk." he muttered in the Emperor of Destructions direction, taking a knee for stability befor another flare charge was loaded... That's when he thought better of it, instead launching the explosive at the Seeker bunker, hoping to break their defensive line. Yeah, let's leave Big Purp alone for right now. Fire Chief's Countach lies smoldering on the tarmac, systems slowly starting to come back online. "bzzzt atron sighted at---sighted--- zzzzt *crackle*." Finally his emergency lights begin flashing brightly again he reroutes power to his auxiliary systems. "Autobots...status report! Er...when you have a moment." He adds after Galvatron blasts Tempo and Runamuck sends a few particle beams at Foxfire. He transforms into robot mode and raises his own particle beam rifle, firing a quick blast back at Galvatron. The red fire chief's car transforms into Red Alert. Galvatron evades your Particle Beam attack. Tempo sneered as the dagger missed, and how she wished it hit. The next part however isn't what she wanted, all her speed, even as she tried to move, was not enough to save her as she was blasted once more by Galvatron's fire-power-- though it was indeed his optics nailed her in the back and she grinched her teeth in pain as she could feel the very beam scorch her back and she went down on the ground. Her hands gribbing some of the rubble tightly as her back steamed. She was designed for speed and agility, not for down right blasts like this, and it was showing. Tempo scampered up to her feet, even if it hurt to do, so and tried to fall back some a bit, away from the giant cannon lord of death. She have to get some distance and try and find a better way--and well, maybe take a moment to get a breather from her pain sensors flaring. Foxfire easily avoids the attack sent his way. He flicks his ears at Red's voice, and replies, "Still engaging Runabout. I've suffered minor damage, but can still fight." He turns back to Runabout. "Learn to aim, loser!" He darts close to him, and rears up onto his hind legs, swiping at him viciously. Foxfire strikes Runabout with Slash. Galvatron steps over a pool of burning oil and picks up a luggage truck abandoned on the tarmac by the panicked spaceport workers, holding it before him like a shield. CRACK goes the proton beam from Red Alert's rifle, vaporizing a pumpkin-sized chunk of the truck as Galvatron breaks into a sudden sprint towards the Security Chief, cocking the truck back over his shoulder like a bludgeon. "Runabout, if you're not BUSY... cover the Seekers' withdrawal and find something to sabotage so this trip is not wasted." He swings the luggage truck towards Red Alert with brutal force! Galvatron strikes you with Luggage Truck for 14 points of damage. I've got my orders, I've got a job to do. Quickswitch revved his engines as the miniature landscape, small to his visual receptors, leaving a trail of wake across the sky and an orange flare from his afterburners and engines. One bunker, a whole mess of Seekers. The Sixchanger smiled. Looked like it was continuing to be a good day. The large and purple warlord, who he had been called upon to engage, appeared in his sights. THAT AFTHEAD /DARED/ TELL HIM HE, QUICKSWITCH WAS NO WARRIOR. Quickswitch banked, furiously, releasing a racuous scream from his engines as he closed in on that purple, ugly, disgusting, pathetic, monstrousity!! There weren't enough words! The Sixchanger loomed in jet mode, coming in from behind. He hissed and released a torrent of tight blue laserfire at the Decepticon Warlord. Accelerated, Quickswitch transforms into a sub-orbital jet. Quickswitch misses Galvatron with its Photon Blasters attack. Runabout turns towards Galvatron, looking at him for approval and direction... when Foxfire lunges at him again. Holding an arm up to block, the cassette digs narrow grooves into his forearm. Some of these cosmetic damages were going to get problematic in a bit. "GAH! I... guh, yessir," he growls, lunging at Foxfire. If he could get a hold on the fox, he just might be able to kill two mechabirds with one ingot... if he can grab hold, he intends on sending the cassette on a one-way-trip through the nearest evacuated aircraft - preferably into a fuel tank... Runabout misses Foxfire with his grasp attack. Exo-Armor Talon Robot comes streaking in faster than the usual jets, having gotten clearance from JFK airport already. It slows a bit over the tarmac, then shifts into robot mode almost directly over Runabout's head. "Hehe.. Seekers." chuckled Sideswipe to himself, building up his courage as he reloded his pistol. Standing up, Sideswipe charged right at the towering titan of purple and mean. He charged .. like a man.. charging. With a burst from his jetpack, Sideswipe went airborn, his feet thrusting out infront of him. Sideswipe has a dropkick for you Galvatron. He made it weith his feet. Sideswipe strikes Galvatron with Dropkick. The black femme was on the move till she saw Foxfire in trouble. Tempo gritted her teeth, bared her pain and moved in to assist with the fox, even if Andi was already heading in that direction. Besides she had some pay back with that mech-- pay back concerning a city! As Tempo moved in, she let out a battle cry as she tried to slice maybe Runabout's hand off. Tempo strikes Runabout with Sword Slice. Red Alert watches in dismay as his attack reduces part of the truck along with some poor unlucky traveler's check-in luggage to atoms. If there's one thing that bothers Red Alert, it's news of travellers' baggage getting lost in the transit system. And that Galvatron caused Red himself to be the agent of such tragedy hurts far worse than getting smashed to the ground by Galvatron's makeshift clubbing attack ever could. Although that hurts too. Red twitches feebly, then manages to shift one hand enough to fire a pair of wires from his first two fingertips, each emitting a pop and electric sizzling sound. Galvatron evades your Don't Tase me Bro! attack. JFK Spaceport is a battlefield. EDC and Autobot forces are facing off against a small Decepticon unit, holding only a small patch of ground. The recent arrival of Galvatron heralded a shift in the power balance, but as every second passes, the balance tips towards the good guys' side... Foxfire ducks the grab, pinning his ears back. "Eh...Tempo?" A grin appears on his muzzle. "Thanks! Now let's take this guy down!" There go the optic lasers. Foxfire strikes Runabout with Laser. Arachnae says, "Mission accomplished." Mother Goose Fusillade says, "It wasn't before?" Dreadwind says, "If you can call it a mission." Galvatron stands over Red Alert amidst a barrage of laser fire, menacing him with the now-wrecked luggage truck raised for another blow, when Sideswipe heroically leaps to the rescue in a jet-assisted double kick! "Hn!" grunts Galvatron, stumbling from the impact. "Very well, Autobot. You have my attention for the moment." His strong right hand lashes out to try to snatch ahold of Sideswipe's neck and drive him face-first into the tarmac. Galvatron strikes Sideswipe with With His Bare Hands. -crunch- Arachnae says, "It was inevidable but now it is proven." Arachnae says, "And it seems to have fallen on some of them in the process, most delightful." Mother Goose Fusillade says, "Sweet. Do the soot imprints make any kind of patterns that look like other objects?" Arachnae says, "I'll bring back flash image for you to view." Mother Goose Fusillade says, "A few CBUs saved, too. Also, I've been thinking on this whole Guiltor thing." Saboteur Foxfire says, "What the--Sideswipe! SIDESWIPE!" Tempo .... Galvatron says, "And your evaluation?" Arachnae says, "Of?" Red Alert groans weekly, "What about me...?" Quickswitch felt himself tensing, the hydraulics and servoes, joints and systemic linkages, felt his overactive cog threatening to twist his form even as he was still in the chattering air. The sounds filled his radio. He hadn't gotten clearance. He didn't care. If they didn't like it, they could deal with Galvatron on their own. Quickswitch watched his lasers impact /near/ Galvatron and set off a fire of a crumpled luggage truck. He didn't care about that either... but it was the beginning of the monstrous Sixchanger's increasing anger, finally reaching a bubble and bursting with the sight of Red Alert, barely functional, and Sideswipe being driven right into the ground. His fuel pump thundered. "I WANT YOUR CANNON!" Quickswitch roared, his form twisting into his feral puma mode and fell from the air, claws hooked, "DON'T LET ANY OF THEM GET AWAY!" Faster than the eye can follow, Quickswitch transforms into a mecha-puma. Quickswitch misses Galvatron with its Slash attack. Dreadwind says, "Guiltor is a mere machine he holds no real ability, just sheer destructive power that will annihilate us all." Galvatron says, "Speak for yourself, Dreadwind." Mother Goose Fusillade says, "Hnn. I may need to meet with officers in private to give details. The most recent version of our delightful guest used information from our comm system to simulate the Blueshift/Redshift match that lead to its attack on me. They have access to those communications somehow, and possibly to radio as well." Saboteur Foxfire says, "Red, Siders...hand in there, guys!" From Exo-Armor Talon , Andi Lassiter hesitates for a moment, taking a quick stock of what's going on, then makes her decision. She mutters to herself, "I am SO going to regret this," then aims the Talon's strongest weapon at the more threatening of the enemies on the tarmac -- Galvatron. Exo-Armor Talon strikes Galvatron with disruptor. Attacked from both sides at once, Runabout is first scorched by the fox's lasers, then catches Tempo's blade deep in his arm. Yowling in pain, he glances around the battlefield - even he could see this fight was lost now. But there was always a chance to salvage something... and perhaps pin some more blame on this little GLITCH in the meantime. Passing on the internet browser wannabe, the Battlecharger painfully wrenches his arm free of the blade, then collapses down into his vehicular form. Hoping to up-end the Autobot as he peels out, he rockets towards the main terminal, deftly swerving around the small craters lining the ground... Runabout misses Tempo with his grasp attack. Almost too fast to see, Runabout folds down into a sleek black sports car. Galvatron says, "Intriguing. I'm very much interested in how to cut off their 'resurrection' transmissions. Yes, we will discuss your examinations with Soundwave when he is recovered." Dreadwind says, "Well they6 do have all that data on us so our radio frequencies are probably open to them, i bet they're listening to use now... plotting our downfall." Tempo watches the battlecharger transform and try to take her and out, fails-- fails so bad, that while he tries to pass by, she takes the chance to try and slash and nice 'x' in the back of his fender. However her optics were also keeping an 'eye' on Galvatron and the others. Though after she made the move, something clicked-- why was the decepticon running away? He seemed to have things in hand-- was it because he was out matched-- perhaps she spooked him? Maybe there was some coffee and donuts to give him super strength! Well, whatever it was-- she wasn't really sure... Tempo strikes Lotus Turbo Esprit with X Slash. "Get back here!" Foxfire takes off after Runabout, certain that nothing good can come of him reaching the terminal. He is concerned about Red Alert and Sideswipe, but both of them are stronger than he is; he's certain that they can take care of themselves. Besides, he doubts he can help them. As he chases the Battlecharger, he lets loose another flaming stream. Foxfire strikes Lotus Turbo Esprit with Fire. Quickswitch snarls fiercely, "Get em out if they're not functional!! DON'T LET THE DECEPTICONS GET THEIR OBJECTIVE!!" That didn't hurt, it didn't hurt at all. Sideswipe is fine, really!.. No.. I'm serious! Or not. "Frag." chokes Sideswipe once Galvatron's hand latches onto his throat. He doesn't even have time to struggle. The earth rushed up, smashing his face with a painful kiss of tarmac, optics cracking if not shattering, features ground against the pavement painfuly. Stars burst into Sideswipe's eyes filling them with wonder and beauty.. If it hadn't hurt so much he might have enjoyed it. Sideswipe peels his face off the pavement, slow and deliberate as he struggles to his knees. "That.. all you got? Bumblebee hits harder then that!" muttered Sideswipe, a broken jaw unable to compleatly silance him. Luck saved him from Andi's weapons fire, timing prevwented him from being trampled by Quickswitch.. Hopefuly distraction would keep Galvatron busy while one of his hands retracted into his wrist, a powerful piledriver pressing out into view. The spear like head of the pile driver begins to thrust rapidly like a jackhammer, Sideswipe gave it a moment to gain speed befor he tried to drive it home..right into Galvatron's trigger crotch.. or.. somewhere around his upperthigh. The guy was missing a eye, his aim could be off. Sideswipe misses Galvatron with its Piledriver Mishap attack. Saboteur Foxfire says, "JEEZ! There's no need to shout! Just keep Galvatron at bay while Tempo and I handle Runabout. He's heading toward the main terminal, and we're on his tail." Galvatron's right arm twitches involuntarily as the EDC vehicle pops him in the arm with its beam weapon, causing him to loosen his grip on the back of Sideswipe's neck for, perhaps, long enough for him to escape. The lunging puma gets an almost lazy dodge as Galvatron twists out of the way of its slashing claws. Switching hands to his almost equally powerful left to avoid the numbness, Galvatron sniffs derisively and tries to grab and throw poor Sideswipe at Andi's Talon mech. "Haven't you already had enough of my cannon in our past meetings, Quickswitch?" Galvatron strikes Sideswipe with Piston Throw. Galvatron succeeds in grasping Exo-Armor Talon Robot, throwing it off-balance. Assault Beast 's vocorder peals with a screaming roar as the UNICRONIAN ESCAPED. His claws hit the tarmac, clicking as he stalked back around for a second go. This was not excusable. He crouched, tensing up to leap toward the destructive abomination, his large jaws wide and roaring, eager to clamp down metal to metal and rake him with his claws. Quickswitch strikes Galvatron with Evisceration. Peeling out, Runabout soon finds himself the victim of not one, but two vicious attacks, leaving his bumper clattering along the tarmac, his back window shattered, and most of his trunk lid melted and smashed. Sparks fly from the ground where his bent vehicle frame drags along the ground. Even still, he's rolling... and quickly approaching the terminal. Without bothering to change modes, he veers around and through the EDC defensive line, taking heavy damage along the way... before lining himself up with the main pump systems for the spaceport's rocket fuel. <> he mumbles over the local Deepticon broadband... mostly to himself. <> Without further ado, he drives over and into the fuel pump, his reinforced bumper sheering it off cleanly, a split second before driving over it. And as the highly volitile rocket fuel begins spewing up and out... the sparks from his rear bumper hit it. You do the math. Tempo says, "..holy primus... EVERYONE OFF THE TARMAC!" Saboteur Foxfire says, "MOVE!" Foxfire skids to an abrupt stop as he witnesses the sparks hit the fuel. Acting quickly, he spins around in the other direction, away from the imminent explosion, crying out to his comrades in the process. "GO, GO!" Sideswipe's pistoning piledriver found only air as he thrust it towards Galvatron, he had one shot and now he was in for more pain. Hefted up and sent flying, Sideswipe scrambled to gain control, attempting to correct himself. To little to late however, he felt himself hit something large, metal and mecha. "D'damn, sorry about that m-" begain Sideswipe asn he attempted to disentangle himself from the machine, only to cut himself short once he realized it's nature. Any further comments were cut off by sudden calls for retreat. "Piston clanking battlec hargers." muttered Sideswipe in complaint as he painfuly folded down into a battered sports car. Galvatron drops into a half-crouch as shrapnel and flaming high-test rocket fuel spatter out from the towering explosion behind him with a resounding BAWAROOM. "Just when you think they're completely useless Battlechargers have a way of convincing you to keep them around a little longer," he remarks with a dry chuckle, winding up his cannon. Galvatron pulls Quickswitch towards him by the arm that the sixchanger is clamped to and tries to simply jam the barrel of his cannon into the side of the mechanical beast. Galvatron misses Assault Beast with his Fusion Cannon (standard output) attack. Tempo sketched to a halt on her attack as she place two and two together. She quickly picked up Foxfire in her arms as her wheels slid down on the ground to start to skate with speed. "SIDESWIPE MOVE!!" She yelled over to the red mech, hoping he heard the comm and heard her yell to him. Wheels hit the tarmac, speed and grace, explosion soon to happen behind her, fox in arms. Tempo grits her teeth. So in desperation, she then tossed Foxfire out of the zone, knowing fully well by the blast radius, she would get caught, even with her speed, so if Tempo was going to go down in flames, she could at least make sure someone didn't go down with her whom she was trying to save! Tick tock, that was the time bomb behind her. Tempo either make it-- or get caught. Everything around her in slow-mo, with her arms now free, trying to get more speed, transforming down, reving her engine, and sqweeling her tires to get away... Tick tock-- Sideswipe says, "Man, everyone's so bossy all the sudden." Saboteur Foxfire says, "JUST MOVE, SIDESWIPE!" Sideswipe says, "See?" Saboteur Foxfire says, "Move or get blown up! And...h-hey, Tempo!" From Exo-Armor Talon , Andi Lassiter is mid-air when Sideswipe slams into the Talon, causing the exo-unit to squeal all kinds of warning alarms. The tangled combination of Autobot and exo-unit starts plummeting to the ground and Andi hears Foxfire's shouts. So she does the only thing she can: clamp onto Sideswipe, fire the Talon's flight engines at full-throttle, and hope that there will be enough momentum to get them both clear of the explosion's blast radius. FRAKOW, the errant neutron beam that just missed taking a big chunk out of Quickswitch slices through a parked spacecraft a few hundred yards away, which slumps into a semi-molten heap and then *also* explodes. There's just a lot of exploding going on tonight. Sideswipe says, "Oh hey, I got a ride, sweet." Red Alert forces himself to roll over so that he can transform and speed away from the explosion himself. He repeats the Autobot's warnings over various terran tactical frequencies as he goes. Luckily, humans have been steadily evacuating the airport facilities since the encounter started, and all that's left are a skeleton crew of air traffic controllers and emergency personnel. Well, lucky for the Autobots, not them. Red Alert transforms into a fire chief's car. "I'M GONNA TAKE THAT CANNON--" Quickswitch snarled, metal jaws snapping and claws bracing and ripping, "--AN I'M GONNA RAM THAT CANNON--" His lithe body twisted at an almost unnatural to anything but a feline, angle. His circuits prickled and Quickswitch took note immediately, "--Down your intake, but not today--Ones and Zeroes!" Quickswitch would have stuck out his beastial tongue as he disengaged himself and thrusted his wing-jets for all their worth as the explosion goes off, "See you!" Tempo says, "Good for ya--" Saboteur Foxfire says, "Someone...someone get Tempo! She's within the blast radius!" The explosion, of course, was immediate and terrifyingly violent. A gigantic red-orange plume of fire extended upwards into the night sky, and the shockwave shattered every exposed window in the complex. After the blinding light dies down, and the wave of heat passes, all that's left is a smoldering crater, an incredible amount of smoke, and the twisted wreck of a black Lotus Turbo Esprit. Twitching slightly, anyone brave - or foolish - enough to approach the crater, might have heard a single, strained, "...ow..." Foxfire is thrown clear of the blast radius. With an impressive show of agility, he twists in the air and lands on his feet. He wants desperately to go back for Tempo...but the explosion occurs as he darts toward it. His optics widen. "TEMPO!" Galvatron for his part fears no fire no matter how hot. He's made to withstand interstellar temperatures, to make planetfall under his own power. He turns to face the explosion. "Superb!" says Galvatron as the flames surround him. He walks into it as it fades, to find Runabout and pick him up. "Time for you to return to base. Mission accomplished, I think." Quickswitch says, "RARRGGGH... ?! Where is the femme?" Saboteur Foxfire says, "She...she was caught in the blast! Oh, Primus...Tempo..." Quickswitch says, "I'm going after him! This is a disgrace!" Sideswipe says, "What..? Where's Tempo?" Saboteur Foxfire says, "Tempo, respond! Please respond!" Quickswitch says, "She... ended up in the blast radius...." Sideswipe says, "Oh.. Wait, WHAT?!" Saboteur Foxfire says, "She threw me out of the blast radius...but she couldn't escape it herself..." Sideswipe says, "Slaggit, Andi? (is she even on this thing?) Andi!? Swing around!" The TVR Tuscan S moved, moved as fast has she could, however when the blast went, she was thrown off her wheels by the explosive wave, transforming to try and correct herself. She then tried to run on foot, however before she could even get two steps, she was slammed by the flameing ball itself. It hurt-- it hurt and it numbed her. When the blast was over, she laid on the tarmac, under some pipes she managed to duck under to try and keep herself from getting far worse then she was, curled in a ball, armor nearly all melted away, barely functional-- voices over her comm, all in static. She coughed lightly before she reached up weakly for her comm. Red Alert says, "Picking something up on my sensors...it sounded like...like coughing." Saboteur Foxfire says, "I...I think I see her!" Static for a moment before Tempo's weak voice is heard, but it cuts in and out, "--st..us funct..nal.." Saboteur Foxfire says, "Hang in there, Tempo. We'll get you outta there." From Exo-Armor Talon , Andi Lassiter says, "Crap...I'm trying, Sideswipe! You're too fricking heavy!" She fights the Talon's controls to keep them both from slamming into the ground, and finally kind of succeeds. They both tumble to a stop at the far end of one of the runways. She throws herself -- and the Talon -- free of the Autobot so he can go back for Tempo. "Go, Sideswipe!"" Foxfire squints through the resulting smoke of the explosion, a nearly motionless form in his sights. He darts toward it, a quiet, startled gasp escaping him as he realizes that it is, in fact, his comrade. "Tempo!" He quickly looks over the damage, and tries with all his strength to move the pipes and debris in an attempt to free her. As the violence of the explosion dies down, the EDC forces quietly begins to regroup, tending to their own wounded and the debris from the explosion, the weapons fire all but ends completely as the Decepticons slowly withdraw... Runabout, for all it's worth, doesn't even get to see the damage he's done - but as the pain overcomes him, he rests easy in the knowledge that Rampage will almost certainly tape the news reports for him... Assault Beast escapes the blast, his claws leaving long scratch marks along the tarmac. He walks back around, strung up in stricken confusion. He wanted to go after that blight on all Transformers--MAKE HIM **PAY**--and assailed by a sense of wrongness. The others, they needed help. He had let them down. He shifted forms, drove an enormous fist into the tarmac. Quickswitch springs up into his massive robot mode. Saboteur Foxfire says, "I've located Tempo. She...she's badly damaged." The red fire chief's car transforms into Red Alert. Galvatron hauls the scorched and semiconscious vandal up into the air by his frame and flies away, armor blackened by the heat. The Constructicons will clean him up and restore him to his usual purpleness, no doubt. Red Alert watches Galvatron depart, then limps his way over towards Foxfire, battered and scorched like most of the other Autobots. "Andi, can you help Tempo? At least some sort of field repairs? The rest of you, spread out and see what you can do to help the emergency workers contain the damages." He looks around, then adds, "If any of them...if any survived, that is." He looks around again, this time spotting Quickswitch. "Quickswitch - you're the fastest here. We may need you to transport Tempo back to the repair bay once she's stable." Quickswitch heads over to Foxfire with heavy, defeated thunders of his footsteps. He reaches downward with enormous, thick hands to begin picking up and discarding the debris covering their fallen comrade. He didn't watch the Unicronian as he left, did not need to, as he imagined irascibly the blackened image flying victoriously off, "Hold on, Tempo..." he uttered quietly, looking over the wreckage. Sideswipe's tires hit the tarmac.. what's left of it.. only to find that one of his axels isn'ty working right. Transforming again, SAideswipe groans like Kup getting out of a comfortable chair, his form aching as it contorts and reforms. A bit slow on the draw as rl weighs in. Tempo was indeed down in there, curling herself in a tight ball of protection. Most of her armor gone, scorched away, exposed circuts and gears. What armor that did remain was barely hanging on or was burnt beyond anything good. It was amazing she was even still functional. Her face was half burnt, the other part hanging in there, one of her optical covers gone, there other one cracked. As she hears movement above, Tempo forces herself out of her ball of protection and tries to pull herself out, painful as it was, she was fighter and she didn't give up. Her chrome fingers, though badly damaged took ahold of the ground as she tried to pull herself up past the pipes and what-nots. Seeing Foxfire and Red Alert there, she continued to pull up. Quickswitch is too big, simply too big to be seen for his towering legs and leans right down to peer at Tempo with half-lit optics, concern written on his face as as he lifts away a large pipe and tosses it aside, where it rolls. "Easy, Tempo..." Foxfire stays close to her, as if his small body can catch her if she topples over. "We'll get you back to Autobot City. You'll be okay." He looks up at Andi pleadingly. "Yeah...can you stablizer her?"